Mike Ambersley's well-struck penalty kick was saved by Puerto Rico goalie Richard Martin in the first half, and the Rowdies continued their scoring struggles with a 0-0 tie at Al Lang Saturday.

The teams stay tied for second place in the NASL.

Tampa Bay dominated play for most of the way though Puerto Rico had a couple of chances with free kicks from the 20-yard range in the final 10 minutes.

New Rowdie Raphael Cox played well and he was the player who drew the foul leading to the penalty kick. Luke Mulholland had the other close call, taking a rebound of a strong Cox shot and drilling it off the crossbar.

Despite the opportunities and overall control of the game the Rowdies now have gone four contests without a win. They have managed three draws in that stretch, two scoreless.

Tampa Bay heads to Fort Lauderdale next week, which thanks to the Rowdies' recent winless stretch can jump over them with a victory.

Carl Colt, a hulking 6-4 forward from England, saw his first action for Tampa Bay in the late going.

For the game the Rowdies held a 13-10 shot advantage and had twice the amount of corner kicks, the result of their sustained pressure. But often a good buildup in the penalty area would lead to either a weak shot or a clearance.

Attendance was 3,125 at Al Lang.

Second place is especially important since it means a first-round bye.